▪ I. bowling, vbl. n.
(ˈbəʊlɪŋ)
[f. bowl v.2]
1. Playing at bowls; the action of rolling a bowl or other round body.
| 1535 Act 27 Hen. VIII, xxv, Any open plaieng house or place for common bowling. 1612 Bacon Studies, Ess. (Arb.) 13 Bowling is good for the Stone and Reines. 1705 Hickeringill Priest-Cr. ii. vi. 66 They go to Shooting or Bowling as soon as Afternoon Service is done. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iii. vii. 235. 1879 Daily News 2 Sept. 3/1 Bowling was at all times a mild species of recreation. |
2. Cricket. a. The action of ‘delivering’ the ball.
| 1755 Game at Cricket 6, Laws. 1859 All Y. Round No. 13. 306 Jim..go in: cut over the slow bowling. 1879 Sat. Rev. 5 July 21 Oxford was once more aided by the bowling of Mr. Jellicoe. |
b. The strength or resources of the bowlers in a cricket team.
| 1845 W. Denison Cricketer's Compan. (ed. 2) p. viii, Their great deficiency..is in bowling. 1893 R. Daft Kings of Cricket xiii. 234 Surrey..possesses plenty of bowling and of quite the best quality. |
c. fig.
| 1959 Listener 6 Aug. 222/2 A Minister at question time trying to stand up to accurate opposition bowling. |
3. Comb., as bowling-day, bowling-ground, bowling-night; bowling-crease, the line from behind which the bowler ‘delivers’ the ball in cricket; bowling saloon U.S., a building equipped with bowling-alleys.
| 1755 Game at Cricket 6, Laws..The Bowling-Creases must be cut in a direct line from each Stump. Ibid. 8 If he delivers the Ball, with his hinder Foot over the Bowling-Crease, the Umpire shall call no Ball. 1842 Dickens Amer. Notes I. vi. 208 A painted lamp directs you to the Bowling Saloon, or Ten-Pin alley. 1880 Boy's Own Bk. 105 Within the return-crease..and behind the bowling-crease, the bowler must stand when he delivers the ball. |
▸ bowling bag n. orig. U.S. a bag in which balls and other equipment for ten-pin bowling are carried, typically a brightly coloured plastic or leather zip-up holdall of roughly semi-circular shape with one or two short handles at its top; (also) a smaller fashion handbag of similar shape.
| [1938 A.B.C. Bull. 16 Sept. 18/1 (advt.) Our new Bowling Ball Bag Catalogue.] 1939 A.B.C. Bull. 16 Mar. 2/1 (advt.) Brunswick Brown Beauty *Bowling Bags. 1975 Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer 6 Apr. 7 c/3 When they bowl in the rolloffs each contestant will be presented with a Brunswick bowling bag as the prize for gaining the finals. 2000 Elle Sept. 339/2 Products..are individually wrapped in waterproof packaging so they won't leak in your must-have bowling bag. |
▪ II. bowling
variant of bolling n.